Abalone Aquaculture in Western Australia

ABALONE AQUACULTURE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA Aquaculture Policy FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PAPER NO. 242 Published by Department of Fisheries 168 St. Georges Terrace Perth WA 6000 June 2010 ISSN 0819-4327 Abalone Aquaculture in Western Australia Aquaculture Policy June 2010 Fisheries Management Paper No. 242 ISSN 0819-4327 ii Fisheries Management Paper No. 242 CONTENTS GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS ........................................................................................... iv 1.0 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 2.0 OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................................. 2 2.1 Environmental Impact .......................................................................................... 2 2.2 Broodstock Issues ................................................................................................ 2 2.3 Biosecurity .......................................................................................................... 3 2.4 Translocation ........................................................................................................ 4 2.5 Selective Breeding and Triploid Programs .......................................................... 5 3.0 POLICY ........................................................................................................................ 6 3.1 Hatchery Production ............................................................................................ 6 3.2 Land-based Culture .............................................................................................. 6 3.3 Marine-based Culture ........................................................................................... 7 3.4 Genetic Zones ...................................................................................................... 9 4.0 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 10 5.0 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................. 11 Appendix 1 Abalone Aquaculture Genetic Zones ......................................................... 11 Fisheries Management Paper No. 242 iii GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS AVG Abalone viral ganglioneuritis CEO Chief Executive Officer DEC Department of Environment and Conservation EDR Enzootic Diseases Regulations 1970 EPA Environmental Protection Authority FRMA Fish Resources Management Act 1994 FRMR Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995 MEMP Management and Environmental Monitoring Plan MPG8 Ministerial Policy Guideline No. 8 “The Assessment of applications for authorisations for Aquaculture and Pearling in coastal waters of Western Australia” PCR Polymerase chain reaction iv Fisheries Management Paper No. 242 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Department of Fisheries (“Department”) is committed to the development of a sustainable abalone aquaculture industry in Western Australia. As part of its commitment, the Department has developed this new Abalone Aquaculture Policy (“Policy”) to outline new arrangements for the management of the abalone aquaculture industry in the State. The first policy on abalone aquaculture was released 10 years ago. In recognition of the industry and scientific developments over the last decade, and to cater for current industry development requirements, it was appropriate to develop a new Policy. In November 2009, the Department convened a stakeholder meeting with the abalone industry (the wild capture and aquaculture sectors) to discuss policy changes that would support the abalone aquaculture industry in Western Australia while maintaining a robust management framework. Relevant issues included compliance, monitoring, biosecurity, genetic variation and associated management and reporting requirements. The Department’s Research Division has started a monitoring program to gather information on the genetic diversity of greenlip abalone in Western Australia. Once the work is complete, this Policy may be revised and, if necessary, amended to incorporate any scientific outcomes relevant to the ongoing development and management of the industry. Abalone Aquaculture in WA The species of abalone with potential for culture in Western Australia include Haliotis roei (Roe’s abalone) Haliotis laevigata (greenlip abalone) and Haliotis conicopora (brownlip abalone). The brownlip abalone is often regarded as being conspecific with Haliotis rubra, the black lip abalone from the eastern states. There is also some interest in the culture of Haliotis asinina (tropical or donkey’s ear abalone) and Haliotis scalaris (staircase abalone). As of November 2009, the Department had issued 12 licences to culture abalone. Not all licence holders are actively culturing abalone. There is one operational commercial hatchery on the south coast and another planned in the south-west of the State. Fisheries Management Paper No. 242 1 2.0 OBJECTIVES This policy is intended to guide proponents applying for, and the Department when assessing, applications for authorisations for aquaculture licences under Section 92 of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA). It is also intended to support the development of a sustainable abalone aquaculture industry in Western Australia. Specifically, the document provides details on some of the general issues relating to abalone aquaculture including environmental impact, broodstock and biosecurity. The policy section provides information on the: • manner in which abalone can be cultured in hatchery, land-based and marine-based systems; • system requirements to prevent release of genetic material when holding “out of area” stock; and • manner in which licensed abalone farmers can distribute and, or, sell cultured animals. 2.1 Environmental Impact This document is not intended to provide a comprehensive account of the impacts an abalone farm could have on the surrounding environment. Environmental impact has been, and will continue to be, dealt with on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the relevant assessment processes and the maintenance of an approved Management and Environmental Monitoring Plan (MEMP). Some possible major environmental impacts of abalone aquaculture are summarised below. • Trophic Effects. As for any aquaculture operation, there is potential for uneaten feed and metabolic waste products (soluble and particulate) to enrich the water column and substrate of the surrounding environment and, in extreme cases, have eutrophic effects. On the release of nitrogen from an abalone farm, Maguire (1998) reported that, from an environmental perspective, abalone aquaculture should have a relatively low impact provided that efficient feeding and solids removal from discharge water occurs. This issue will continue to be informed by monitoring results reported by operational abalone farms. • Shading from Marine-Based Farms. The structures used to farm abalone in a marine- based farming system could shade the seabed, possibly affecting key ecological systems. While this is considered unlikely, it is a possible impact so must be considered. • Impact on Geomorphology. The use of artificial substrates to culture abalone could affect sand and water movement in the area, resulting in a change in geomorphology. Feed may also be ‘trapped’, thereby possibly altering nutrient levels in the water. These effects, however, would be localised. Generally, these impacts would only eventuate at facilities that are not operated using best- practice techniques. 2.2 Broodstock Issues This Policy does not specifically deal with the collection and use of broodstock. The Department expects legislative amendments over the next few years will enable it to authorise the take of broodstock for aquaculture purposes using a permit. Until that time, broodstock must be either purchased from licensed commercial fishers or taken under the authority of a Ministerial exemption issued under Part 7 of the FRMA. 2 Fisheries Management Paper No. 242 2.3 Biosecurity The unintentional introduction of disease can also have significant environmental and economic costs. Under the FRMA, the Department has a statutory responsibility to, inter alia, protect the environment and sustainably develop the State’s resources. In accordance with these responsibilities, the Department is developing a policy on translocation and biosecurity. The principles on which this abalone policy is based are consistent with those in the wider biosecurity and translocation policy. In late December 2005, a significant disease incident was reported in Victoria on land-based and offshore abalone aquaculture farms. Subsequently, in May 2006, the presence of the disease abalone viral ganglioneuritis (AVG) was confirmed in wild abalone on a reef near Port Fairy, Victoria. AVG is characterised by significant mortality (up to 90 per cent) of greenlip, blacklip and hybrid abalone. The virus has infected reefs along 200 km of the Victorian coastline and been confirmed in close proximity to the Victorian-South Australian border. Following the outbreak of AVG in Victoria, the Department held workshops with commercial abalone fisherman and abalone aquaculture licensees to develop proactive strategies to manage the potential risk to Western Australian abalone stocks. The biosecurity management arrangements implemented since these workshops are set out below. • AVG has been listed in Schedule 1 Division 2 and Schedule 2 Division

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